Nikola Tesla has left a big foot-print in human history. One thing for sure, the use of the rotating magnetic field (AC). But also in the media: he’s the “father of radio”; the iconic “mad scientist” in Hollywood movies; and the founder of techology in the field of fantasy and science fiction. One example is the so-called “Tesla-Howitzer”. Long time it was said that the Sowjet-Union had one in Semipalatinsk, a huge particle beam weapon to shoot down incoming targets. Well, it seems to be another location, Sary Shagan. And it is another technology; no particle beam involved, but it’s a laser-based tracking system to guide anti-ballistic missiles. But it would have pleased Tesla, for sure.

The Media (Paramount Pictures) knew what they had in Tesla: the perfect gentleman scientist, who constructs weapons of mass destruction in his laboratory. Tesla, the iconic arch-enemy. Tesla’s death-ray was a complete hoax, with Titus de Bobula as architect and Tesla as the visionary scientist writing about their product to Her Majesty the Queen (among others) to become instant multi-millionaires. A perfect Hollywood dream, something to make real stories out of: Tesla became the perfect villain, and Clark Kent the perfect man, pardon: Superman – to save his girl Lois Lane out of the hands of crazed gentleman scientist Tesla.